Chapter 290: Death
Deep within the gardens of the royal palace, Dahlia and Zoran were sharing a round of tea and snacks with one another while also being immersed in a friendly game of chess. It was an old hobby they picked up back when they were alone. Well, the latter taught the former since she had no memories about the game to try and pass the time, but that small gesture eventually spiraled to them just enjoying playing against one another whenever they had the chance. And now, with both of them being together again after so long, they finally had the chance to play a few rounds of classic chess against each other.
"Let me set up the board," Zoran hummed as he laid out the pieces with him taking the white pieces for himself. "You still play black, right?"
"You know me too well," she beamed at him as she prepared two cups of tea for the both of them. "Here’s your tea, by the way."
"Thank you, Dahlia," Zoran smiled back at her, her heart fluttering as she sat down in front of him. "So, shall we play?"
"Of course," she nodded. "After you..."
Zoran made the first move. Then Dahlia, then Zoran again as they went through their usual routine and openings. Some things never changed, she supposed. They still played the same openings, still favored the same pieces, all while their tactics subtly improved with each match that they played.
Dahlia couldn’t help but smile as she moved another chess piece on the board. It wasn’t much, but spending time with Zoran like this again almost felt like a dream come true for her. It almost felt like they were back to those days when they were alone in their old hideout, content with nothing but their presence alone as they spent time with one another.
"This is nostalgic, isn’t it," Zoran chuckled as he moved a chess piece in retaliation to Dahlia’s move. "I still remember teaching you how to play this game. You were so bad back then."
"Hey, in my defense, I was quite literally new to the game," Dahlia cheekily replied as she made her move. "It’s not a surprise that I’d constantly lose to the person that taught me. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ll lose again here."